


Soulmate Bingo

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: All Bingo, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Trope Bingo Round 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8100679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: Yet another fic about soulmates! And yep, inspired by amusewithaview's work.
The words etched on a person's skin are the first words they will hear from their soulmate.





	1. Soulmate Bingo

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Words on my skin, love in my heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1759835) by [amusewithaview](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusewithaview/pseuds/amusewithaview). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet another fic about soulmates! And yep, inspired by amusewithaview's work.
> 
> The words etched on a person's skin are the first words they will hear from their soulmate.

[ ](http://imgur.com/OgykvXI)


	2. Translation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy's been waiting for him since she took the internship with Jane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “So you’re the reason that Dr. Foster’s papers are now legible.” - words by deliciousnightduck
> 
> For the "Fire & Ice" square - All Bingo card  
> For the "Language/Translation" square - Trope Bingo card

Darcy Lewis danced in her seat as her fingers flew across the keyboard. Her voice, a little off-key but full of enthusiasm, filled the soundproofed lab.

_You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine._  
_Just own the night like the 4th of July._

Music blasted through her earbuds as she typed, her eyes glued to the chicken scratch that made up Jane’s science-bender handwriting. Her boss-slash-best friend actually had decent penmanship, but it kind of required her to be paying attention to her writing. That kind of attention went the way of the dodo when it came to work. 

Because...Science! 

_'Cause, baby, you're a firework_  
_Come on, show 'em what you're worth_

Not that it mattered to Darcy. She reigned as the champion when it came to deciphering Jane’s working scrawl and translating her patchwork quilt of notes. And at least her surroundings gave her some of the best scenery when her eyes needed a break.

Like the muscular Steve Rogers in a confab with the fluffy Bruce Banner.

She glanced up to see just that image in the lab next to Jane’s. Bless Tony for glass walls...bless Thor for wanting Jane safe...and bless Jane for insisting she needed Darcy in order to continue rewriting the known laws of astrophysics. Not that Darcy had been able to join her immediately - hello family issues that interrupted a girl’s move to the Big Apple. But with her sister situated and her parents on their third honeymoon, she had arrived to an enthusiastic greeting from Thor. 

Which she understood better once she laid eyes on Jane.

Jane looked waifish and half-manic...the results of a three day Science! bender. Even Thor hadn’t been able to stubborn her into getting some rest. 

“I believe she awaited your return, Lady Darcy.” Thor had explained.

“Did anyone remind her I was at the family homestead?”

He spread his hands. “I made the attempt, but…”

She had only nodded as his voice trailed off. “Yeah, I got it. Janey’s waiting to know I’m in place. She hates it when her science world isn’t in order.”

“You have said you are not a scientist,” Thor frowned.

“Nope,” she sighed. As best friend, Darcy might have been exasperated, but as assistant to the woman - she got it. “I’m the assistant though, so without me here, her world isn’t lined up and balanced. So she’s playing hooky with the rules.” Granted, after New Mexico and Tromso and London, the boss lady _knew_ Darcy took care of her better than anyone else. Even Thor gave way to her demands when it came to Jane’s wellbeing.

The amount of work waiting for her did mean that she hadn’t gotten a chance to meet everyone as yet though. No one really had a set schedule around her, what with missions and emergencies and who knew what all. So people came and went at odd hours...or maybe it was just that she worked the weirdest hours.

Darcy gave her head a shake to pull herself out of the memories.

_You don't have to feel like a wasted space_  
_You're original, cannot be replaced_  
_If you only knew what the future holds_  
After a hurricane comes a rainbow 

“This is _not_ getting my work done.”

She turned back to her transcribing, deciphering and translating as she went. They should give her a bonus for the translations - she could have given them Jane’s findings straight as the scientist dictated...but even her sense of mischief wasn’t that cruel.

_Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed_  
_So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road_  
_Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow_  
_And when it's time you'll know_

“Finally,” she sighed an hour later as she pulled out her earbuds. “Time for three full days of blissful laziness.” Thor dragging Jane off for a long weekend at one of Tony’s many vacation homes meant time off for the lowly assistant. “Sing hallelujah.” A few more keystrokes and the computer shut down. “I need a nap.” She began to rise from her chair even as she spun it towards the lab door. 

Only to fall back into it with a surprised shriek as she came nose to chest with a man standing right behind her.

James Buchanan Barnes watched her, wicked amusement glinting in his eyes. His six foot tall frame filled out the leather and denim in a way that would make any girl’s mouth water, but her eyes focused on the dark hair, mischievous blue eyes, and that sinful mouth quirked into a smirk. The amusement deepened as she opened and closed her mouth a couple of times - her brain apparently on a short circuit after her eyes had locked on his - but he took pity on her, glancing to the pile of papers on her desk. Confusion knit his brow for only a moment before comprehension lightened that intense gaze.

“So you’re the reason that Dr. Foster’s papers are now legible.”

If she hadn’t been gaping before, she would be now. That exact sentence spiralled down her upper arm. The left one...she spared a moment to grimace at fate’s morbid sense of humor. Somehow the words managed to jumpstart her mouth. “I am the **queen** of ‘Science!’ for Dummies.”

He froze. Those eyes flew back to capture her gaze - and intense seemed too mild a word for the focus now zeroing in on her. “You gotta a name, sweetheart?”

“Uh...Darcy...Darcy Lewis.”

“Hello, Darcy Lewis.” Somehow the potency in his gaze managed to grow. “James Barnes.”

No man’s voice should be that sexy. Then her eyes widened as he stalked - there was no other word for it - forward. “Hi?”

“Been looking for you for a long time,” he informed her as he came to a stop a hairsbreadth from her. He reached out to twirl a lock of her long hair around a finger. “Ever since I came back to myself and found your words curved around my side.” 

“I've been waiting for you to find me ever since I got the internship with Jane,” she admitted.

“Found you.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his serious expression belying the bright gleam in his blue eyes. “Have any plans for the weekend?”

“I was...planning on some snack foods and vegging out in front of the TV for a movie night.” She made a face as she gave a half shrug. “Boss lady is way, way out of town, so I’ve got lots of free time.”

“Oh yeah?” Something hungry flared in his expression. “Think you’d like some company on that movie night?” One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Never know what that might lead to.”

Okay the idea of having James Barnes as her soulmate...that threw her, but this? This she could handle. Darcy rose to her feet, forcing him to pull back. Not that he went far; one deep breath and a rather delicate portion of her anatomy would be brushing against those lovely arms. Ignoring that, she gave him a smirk of her own and lifted a brow. “Your words on my arm will get you through the door, soldier boy,” she declared. “Anything else...you gotta earn.” She slid past him and sauntered towards the door. 

“Something you should know, sweetheart.”

“Yeah?” She glanced back to find that wicked smirk gleaming in full force.

“I love a challenge.”


	3. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is all about changes...but Clint & Darcy have a tendency to go overboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Who the hell gave you a weapon, Short Stack?” --words (slightly tweaked) by lark-cale
> 
> For the "Parenthood" square - All Bingo card  
> For the "Sharing a Bed" square - Trope Bingo card
> 
> And I get my heart tugged with the whole Dad!Clint & Daughter!Wanda thing...

She'd enjoyed seeing London again, and Jane promised she would return to New York right after the conference. Not that Darcy had the time or inclination to worry about the boss lady right this very moment. No, the irate brunette had another fish to fry. Or hawk to hunt….whatever. Now that she had finally made it home, her pain in the ass soulmate had some explaining to do. Her blue eyes flashed as she strode out of the elevator and turned to head for their apartment.

The door opened even as Darcy stalked towards it. Clint came out, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Darce-.”

“Don’t start with me, Clint Barton!” she ranted, drilling a finger into his chest. “JARVIS goes down and the Tower gets attacked and I get a brief text and a five minute phone call?” He opened his mouth and she poked him again. “I’m not finished! You lot drop out of sight and then Thor shows up all weirded out by some visions he had-.”

Clint’s mouth crashing down on her effectively interrupted her rant. She struggled for a moment, stubborn about holding onto her irritation, but her relief at his apparent health and well-being swamped her and she surrendered to the kiss instead. ;Her arms slipped up and around his neck as her eyes fell closed. Losing herself in the moment, she reveled in the feel of him alive and with her.

He pulled back and pressed light kisses to her eyes and her cheeks before brushing his lips over hers again. “Missed you,” he breathed. “So damn much.”

“I missed you too.” She pressed a kiss to the curve of his jaw. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I know.” His rough chuckle rumbled through his chest. “You’ve always been a spitfire...from the first day I met you.”

Darcy could still remember that day. 

Overseeing the SHIELD lackeys as they carted back Jane’s equipment gave her way too much material for sarcasm and her remarks had irritated a couple of the agents in question. “She’s not even the scientist,” one of the nameless guys grumbled under his breath. Both of them frowned in her direction. “Just the intern.”

“Hey!” She jabbed a finger at him. “Got news for you, suit boy - assistants rule the world.” He grimaced, but remained silent. That didn’t stop her. “I tased Thor, so believe me when I tell you I will have zero hesitation in doing the same to you.”

Someone huffed a quiet chuckle behind her. “Who the hell gave you a weapon, Short Stack?”

 _Her words...those were her words._ The rough voice speaking words she’d seen in the mirror every morning of her life caused her to start in surprise, but even shock couldn’t slow her attitude down. Her reply began flying out of her mouth even as she turned. “Probably the same someone who knew I’d have to deal with you, Pipsqueak.” 

The SHIELD agent...her **soulmate** stood there, gaping a little as their gazes locked.

She shook herself free of the memory to find him grinning down at her and pulled back. “Don’t even try it, hotshot,” she ordered as she smacked his arm. “I’m still planning to finish that rant.” Realizing she was still standing in the doorway, she shoved past him. “You should have-.” She stopped and stared into the living room.

“Yeah, uh...Darce-.”

“That’s not Tasha.” Darcy folded her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing on the still figure stretched out on their couch. Not that she could see much of the woman...just her hair.

“No, but…” He paused, glancing at the couch before frowning at her. “How can you tell?”

“Tasha would have thrown something at us by now,” she replied as she rolled her eyes.

“Point.”

Clint took her arm and led her to their bedroom. She stripped off her jacket, tossing it on a nearby chair before focusing a stern look on him. “Spill. Now.”

“Her name’s Wanda.” He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She’s just a kid who got a raw deal and found out she was working for the wrong side.” His lips thinned. “Someone played on her sympathies and then used her in an experiment.” Darcy’s shoulders slumped a bit at that. She knew how much he hated that kind of manipulation. Sliding her arms around his waist, she rested her head against his chest and let him hold her as he continued. “Her and her brother.”

“Brother?” she murmured.

“He...didn’t make it out.”

Darcy sensed there was something behind his sorrow, something more than just the guy’s death, but he didn’t say anything more and her instincts told her now was not the time to push it. 

Her eyes caught on her coat.

“Oh, hey,” she began as she pulled back. A giddy sort of smile stole over her face. “Got something I need to tell you.”

Curiosity swam in his gaze and he tilted his head. “Yeah?” 

A whimper came from the next room. Clint darted towards the sound, but Darcy wasn’t far behind. He reached for Wanda’s shoulder only to be shoved away by some kind of red forcefield. Darcy winced as he smacked into the wall, but she kept her eyes focused on the younger woman. Her hands went up. “Could you...you know...please not do that to me?”

Wanda blinked, surprise darting through her hazy eyes before comprehension cleared them and she gave Darcy a quick scan. “I wouldn’t.”

“Gee, thanks,” Clint grunted, picking himself off the floor.

“Sorry?” The young redhead winced.

“Don't apologize,” Darcy advised her. “He knows better than to wake up someone that way… Especially around here.”

“Yeah,” Clint muttered, “ just don't do that again, okay?”

“I really am sorry.”

He shook his head. "Did you have a nightmare or something?”

“Please.” She bit her lip.. “I wish not to discuss it.”

Concern deepened in his face, but he gave a slow nod. “Alright, we’ll...we’ll let it go for now.”

“Why don’t we find you something more comfortable to wear?” Darcy offered, one hand still resting on Wanda’s arm. She shifted it to curve around her elbow. “Then we can see about all of us getting some sleep.” A light tug prompted the redhead to follow her. “I know I’ve been up way too long.”

“You only have one bedroom,” Wanda protested. “I do not want to impose.”

“Trust me, you’d know if you were imposing.” Darcy gave her a crooked smile. “I am not shy about telling people those kind of things.”

“She’s really not,” Clint laughed. “This entire section of the Tower would know.”

“No comments from the peanut gallery,” she shot back. She rolled her eyes and began rooting around in her closet. “It’s not like we’re doing anything but sleeping,” she continued as she held a set of pajamas out to Wanda. 

“But you are soulmates.”

“And you are a kid who needs some sleep in a safe place,” Darcy countered. “Tasha stays over a lot too.” Her eyes narrowed as she glanced around the apartment. “We do need a bigger place,” she allowed. “Someone remind me to talk to Pepper tomorrow about an upgrade.” One eyebrow rose as she refocused on Wanda. “Well? Go get changed.”

Bewildered amusement shone in the girl’s eyes. “I am not a child,” she noted even as she turned towards the bathroom.

“You’re not an ancient either, so chop chop.” As soon as the door closed, Darcy fixed a firm stare on her soulmate. “Are we adopting a teenager?”

“Maybe?”

“So...that’s a yes. Hmm.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “Definitely an upgrade then.”

“I can talk to Pepper,” he offered. “Let her know we need another bedroom.”

“We need a four bedroom,” Darcy corrected. She ducked into the closet and began changing into her own sleepwear. 

“Four?” he repeated. “Why four?”

“One for us, one for Wanda, one for anybody else who wants to stay but doesn’t quite grasp the idea of platonic comfort sleep,” she called out. She stopped to pull on the large Happy Bunny t-shirt, stolen from Clint at one point or another. 

“That’s only three.”

“I know.” She ran a hand through her hair, smiling at his confused expression. Her feet carried over to the coat she’d tossed earlier and she dug into the pocket. Pulling out an envelope, she turned to hand it to him. “This is why we need the fourth.”

Clint’s eyebrows rose as he took it from her. “What are you up to?” he murmured as he opened it and drew out a photo.

“Believe me, I’m only half responsible for this. The other half is all you.”

He stared at the page in his hand. It rustled a bit as his fingers trembled. “Darce?”

“Let me guess? You want to do the nursery in purple?”

“A baby.” He reached out to rest his free hand on her belly. “I didn’t… I don’t… How far along?”

“Six weeks.” Her grin blossomed, full and blinding as she put a hand on top of his. “It must have been right before I went to London.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.” She stepped closer, leaning into him. “I love you and the little hawk we’re going to be springing on the world. Think Tasha would agree to being godmother?”

“I think she might hurt anyone else we named.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “What about Jane though?”

“I figure on making Thor the godfather,” Darcy shrugged, “so she can bask in his reflected glory.”

Laughter rumbled through him once more. “This is gonna be one spoiled kid.”

“Says the man who’ll be doing most of it.”


	4. In Vino Veritas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy & Jane are a little drunk...and Clint gets to hear a couple of interesting facts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Taste the frickin’ rainbow!” words (slightly tweaked) from hkthauer.
> 
> For the "Pampering" square - All Bingo Card  
> For the "In Vino Veritas/Drunk Fic" square - Trope Bingo Card

Cackles and wild giggling greeted Clint as he stepped out of the elevator on the laboratory floor. On any other occasion, he might be reaching for his phone to call for backup. Insane laughter on this floor tended to mean one scientist or another expected a brilliant breakthrough at any moment...which often meant an explosion or two first. He got caught in one - but only one. Spending a day in medical under careful observation taught him not to underestimate the potential danger of their collection of crazy geniuses.

Tonight though...tonight was a different story.

Thor’s lady friend and her assistant had shoved the Asgardian out of his apartment in order to have a girls’ night. “Something involving much alcohol and some things called ‘chick flicks’,” Thor informed them. Not that the big guy seemed to mind, laughing as he told his teammates of times his mother had done the same. So he accompanied some of the others into the city. Clint’s plans involved a movie marathon and feeding his dog - actually that might be his plan for the whole weekend.

Until a couple of minutes ago when he got a text from Nat.

_Go check on Jane and Darcy. They’re drunk texting from the lab._

Yeah, that got him moving. Drunk and lab - two words that should **not** go together in the same sentence.

Not that they looked too dangerous at the moment. Jane’s hands kept moving through the air as she tried to explain something to her assistant. It might have worked better if Darcy hadn’t been focused on sticking smiley face post-it notes all over Bruce’s lab windows. Clint eyed them, running an amused and appreciative gaze over the attractive pair. 

He’d met the lady doc when Thor first brought her to the Tower. She’d been nicer than he expected given his work with SHIELD in New Mexico, but then again, her attention had been diverted by Tony and Bruce almost immediately. The three of them went into a science spiel and lost everyone else within the first sentence or two. Since then they’d crossed paths a time or two and she told him she intended to ignore his involvement in hijacking her stuff since Thor vouched for him.

Given her tendency to rewrite the laws of physics and Thor’s protective stance, he counted himself lucky.

Darcy he hadn’t managed to meet yet. Jane and Thor insisted the dark-haired assistant be given an apartment in the Tower if they were going to stay, and Tony hadn’t argued, but first the younger woman wanted to visit her family. By the time she made it to New York, Clint and Nat had been on assignment. 

As if Budapest weren’t bad enough, now he had to avoid Paris for a few years...at least until someone else pissed off the local underworld more than the two of them.

They got back a week ago and he’d slept for a full day before beginning his post-mission unwind. He needed that time to ease off his hair trigger instincts. That was the same day Thor and his ladies went off to the desert for a few days to get some clear readings. So yeah, he hadn’t met Darcy as yet.

Figures the first time he gets to meet the gorgeous woman...and she’s drunk.

Clint stepped into the lab, a smirk playing over his lips as he walked towards the two inebriated women now spinning in a couple of desk chairs, empty glasses in hand. Jane spotted him and almost fell out of her chair as she tried to stop spinning. She clutched her glass, blinking at him for a couple of minutes before giggling. One finger came up to shush him...or at least that’s what he thought she tried to do. Said finger smacked her cheek instead and she chortled. 

“W’as so funny?” Darcy demanded, still spinning in slow motion. “And why’s t’ceiling moving?”

“Arms!” Jane announced as she threw her own up in the air. Her glass went flying across the room. It shattered against the floor and she laughed. “Another!”

“You sound like t’Big Guy.” The brunette stopped her chair to stare at her boss. Clint couldn’t see her face, but he would bet her eyes had trouble focusing on the other woman. Darcy swayed in her chair. “And Arms is not t’Big Guy.”

Jane nodded. “Big Guy is my guy.”

“Tha’s the...the...dude…”

“Hmm, mmm.” Jane grinned at Clint. There was some kind of message in her expression that he just wasn’t getting - probably because Drunk Doc didn’t communicate as well as Sober Doc...and Sober Doc had trouble communicating anything non-science anyway.

“The dude,” Darcy repeated, tilting a little sideway. He wondered if she meant to only tilt her head or if the whole body thing was a deliberate choice. She continued talking. “The dude with the arms….tha’s wrong. Arms is the dude...the dude…” An exasperated huff vibrated through her, but then she sat up straight. “Dude with the bow!” she exclaimed. “Robin Hood!”

Clint’s eyebrows rose. She talking about him? The Robin Hood reference he got, but how’d he get ‘Arms’ for a nickname? 

“Arms!” Jane repeated, clapping her hands this time. Now he focused on her. Slender and waifish, the scientist had to be a lightweight when it came to alcohol. How much had they had? And should he give Thor a head’s up about his lady friend’s state? Yeah...good idea. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Nat.

_They’re trashed. Better send him back._

“Hmm...want to bite those arms.”

_That_ little comment yanked his attention back to Darcy.

“Bite?” Jane frowned, leaning her chin on her hand.

“Yeah,” Darcy chuckled as she leaned back in her seat, propping her bare feet up on the desk. Her voice held a dreamy, almost sing-song tone. “Tie him up and bite down.”

This little interlude was shifting from amusing to interesting. 

His attention centered on her now, eyes doing a slow scan of the curvaceous half-hidden by the large sleepshirt and pajama bottoms. Apparently they’d had time for pedicures before diving into their drinks, and her toenails glittered deep purple...something that should not be as sexy as it was. Following the line of her body, he traced the hourglass figure all the way up to the thick curly hair flowing like a waterfall over the back of the chair. 

“Why tie him up?” Jane prompted.

“He’s a bird,” Darcy proclaimed in a dire tone. “He might fly’way.”

Her boss frowned, tilting her head and gazing at him as if considering the idea. Then she nodded. “Right. Y’need rope”

“Don’t have any,” the intern pouted.

“Handcuffs?”

“Oh!” Darcy perked up. “I’ve got those!”

Clint folded his arms over his chest and felt his smirk turn wicked. Suddenly his weekend plans took on a whole new potential as he watched Darcy giggle as she outlined a plan to catch him. Said plan involved a distraction, a net, and possibly bribing Nat.

Pretty good plan for a drunk woman actually.

He pulled his thoughts - and his libido - back under control as he heard the elevator doors opening. Slipping back into the hallway, he intercepted Thor. “Hey,” he nodded. 

Thor returned his nod before lifting his brows. “Lady Natasha informed me that my Jane is...trashed?” 

“Drunk,” Clint nodded. “Silly and loopy drunk.”

“Thank you for calling for me, my friend,” the Asgardian chuckled. “I should get my lady to her rest.” He strode towards the doorway, only to stop and shake his head when he looked into the lab. Rueful eyes turned back to Clint. “Perhaps you might assist me with the Lady Darcy? Even I might have trouble dealing with both of them in such a state.”

“No problem.” _Not a problem at all._ Clint knew how protective Thor could be in regards to either woman, so he’d planned to officially introduce himself to Darcy in the morning, but getting on the big guy’s good side now in regards to the woman wouldn’t hurt either. 

The two walked into the lab and Jane lit up at the sight of her alien prince. She stood up, swaying. “Thor!”

“Big Guy!” Darcy chimed in as she gave both men a bright smile. She gestured to Clint and opened her mouth.

“More drinks!” Jane interrupted before her friend could speak.

“Perhaps it is time to declare an end to your girls’ night,” Thor suggested as he moved to Jane’s side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders..

She pulled free from Thor and crossed her arms over her chest. “No.” Jane ignored her swaying in order to make an announcement. “Ev’rbody needs t’drink!”

Thor put a hand on her shoulder. “My Jane-.” 

“Drink!” she insisted.

“Now, Doc,” Clint began, only to stop when he felt someone poke him in the side. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Darcy’s scowling expression.

She shoved a multi-colored drink at him. “Taste the frickin’ rainbow!” 

He should have been more surprised. That was what he would tell people in the future when they asked him about meeting his soulmate. Right this moment though, he wanted to laugh. Leave it to him to find her like this. Those words had puzzled him ever since they showed up on his forearm during his teens. Out of every connotation he could think up, a rainbow drink had not been one he’d considered. And yet he didn’t feel any surprise. After everything else that had happened in the past year, finding his soulmate in one of the few people allowed to know about the team sent a wave of relief through him.

“Drink!” she ordered, pushing the glass at him again.

This time he accepted the glass and sipped. Vodka for sure he noted, but he wasn’t as certain about what else might be mixed in. His eyes focused on her now beaming face. “Are you always this domineering or is it just for me?”

Darcy blinked at him, her eyes going wide as her jaw dropped. Her hand flew to her hip and his lips twitched as he realized what he’d inscribed on her...and where.

“Words!” Jane bounced, shaking off Thor’s restraining hand to point at Clint. “Arms said Darcy’s words!”

Thor’s eyes narrowed on her in confusion, but then comprehension cut through the haze and his gaze flew up to meet the archer’s. “This is true, my friend?” he asked. “Are you the fated partner of Lady Darcy?”

“I’ve got her words on my forearm,” Clint affirmed even as he turned his focus back on the brunette. On the arm I keep covered by a guard whenever possible. With the lack of familial connections, he had been almost obsessive about protecting the link to his soulmate. Nat teased him about it, but she’d also made sure to keep an extra arm guard in their supplies. Nothing better than having a partner who understood and aided your quirks. “Guess she’s got mine.”

“Over m’hip.” Darcy’s slurred voice rejoined the conversation.

“This is indeed good news!” Thor clapped Clint on the shoulder. “You should make an excellent partner for the Lady Darcy. I had worried for her. Lesser men would not be able to handle the responsibility of being bonded to such a shield maiden.”

Clint grinned at his teammate, having straightened back up after being almost knocked into the desk. “Glad you approve.”

“I’m m’own hero.” Darcy huffed with a disgruntled frown.

“Of course you are,” Thor agreed, still smiling. “Thus the need for another as your mate.” He swung Jane into his arms. “I shall see my lady to her rest,” he informed them. “I have no doubt the women will succumb to their intoxication soon.”

“I’ll get Darcy safely to her rooms,” Clint promised, glancing back at Darcy before turning to face Thor. “And try to get some water into her.”

“Of this I have no doubt,” Thor accepted, “though I would wish you much luck at the second. A good night to you both.”

Darcy appeared at his side and leaned into him. “Big guy’s a big sap.”

Doing his best to ignore the curves pressing into him, he gave her a quick grin. “Yeah, but he’s a good sort.”

“He’s Thor,” she corrected. “So he’s awesome. Jane’s kinda awesome too. Gonna be some awesome babies. And pretty ones...Thor better keep Myuh-Myuh handy. He’s gonna need it.”

“And you need sleep.”

“Kiss me first?” She blinked up at him with guileless blue eyes.

And that kind of temptation he didn’t need. “You trying to get me into trouble, sweetheart?”

“No,” she pouted, pulling away and tripping towards the door. “Just wanna kiss.”

His hand shot out to grab her arm. Pulling her to him, he pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Tell you what, princess, how about you ask me in the morning?” he offered. “Ask me again when you’re sober and I’ll give you a kiss you won’t forget.”

“Promise?”

“Sweetheart, I will swear it on anything you want me to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Double Rainbow Cocktail  
> Ingredients:
> 
> 1 oz. Vodka  
>  1 oz. Elderflower liqueur  
>  4 oz. Soda water  
>  4 dashes grapefruit bitters  
>  Lemon peel for garnish  
>  Rainbow ice cubes
> 
> Preparation:
> 
> Make rainbow ice by adding food coloring drops to an ice cube tray, filling with water and freezing.  
>  Cut lemon / lime peels into stars.  
>  Add all ingredients to a glass filled with ice in rainbow order (two cubes per color, making it a double complete rainbow).
> 
> Garnish:
> 
> Garnish with star shaped citrus peelings.


	5. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet time of reflection between two old friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Future fic and some character deaths alluded to due to amount of time passed.
> 
> Words are my own choosing.
> 
> For the "Forever" square - All Bingo Card  
> For the "Future Fic" square - Trope Bingo Card  
> For the "Relative Values: Families" square - Ladies Bingo Card

Bright lights spilled over the balcony as music drifted through the open doors. Darcy Lewis sat in the shadows, smiling and humming along as she watched people pass the doorway. Some of them danced by while others strolled along as they chattered. The party seemed to be a smashing success with the guests if their laughter gave her any measure by which to judge. No one noticed her quiet figure as she sat on the stone bench. And that didn’t bother her one iota. They expected her to be inside, she knew, and sooner or later someone would be coming out to fetch her, scolding her all the while for being outside in the wind, but she wanted some time to herself. 

She wanted to remember.

The breeze played with her hair, teasing free several white strands to dance in the air as she looked up to the sky. Did Heimdall still look down, watching over her as Thor and Jane requested? What did he tell them? She had not seen them in many years. Thor’s heart broke every time he came back to find more old friends gone and those who remained getting older, frailer. 

Such was the cost of passing years.

Not that they hadn’t offered her a home in Asgard. They had asked her to join them several times, but first there had been her husband and the duty he felt bound him to Earth. Then their children...and their children... One thing after another kept her from accepting their invitation until they ceased visiting Earth. But Thor had promised he would come should she ever have need. Such a lovely thought...if a little unnecessary. She was probably one of the most protected women on the planet. If she needed help, then the world probably had bigger problems than one Asgardian prince - no matter how brave and powerful - could handle.

A soft sound of footsteps reached her just before someone sat down beside her. Darcy looked around and smiled at the redhead waiting there. “There you are,” she chuckled. “Wondered if you’d be here.”

“I would never have missed this birthday.” Natasha Romanoff, one of the original five, sat there as poised as ever. Affection curved her lips into the tiniest of smiles. Her age didn’t show as much as Darcy’s own, but then again - it never had. 

Until you looked into her eyes...then it always showed - at least to Darcy.

“I remember finding you out here every year,” Tasha continued. “Waiting for him to get home before you went in to join the party.”

She huffed and then chuckled. “My soulmate always did take his sweet time about showing up.”

“But he never failed to be here.”

“No,” she agreed, her voice soft and dreamy in remembrance. “No matter what, he always finished the mission in time to be here for my birthday.” Then she gave Tasha a sideways glance. “And you lot tried so hard to keep us from meeting.”

“Not that it did any good,” the redhead laughed. “Fate will have its way.”

Time could never dim the memory of that day in Darcy’s memory. It remained crystal clear, no matter how fuzzy some of the others became.

The Three Scientists - or was that Bears? - had been edgy all morning, fussing and huffing over the least little provocation. Papa Bear - aka Tony Stark - growled over his toys, not wanting to share while Mama Bear - aka Jane Foster - hissed about engineers who thought they knew anything about astrophysics trying to give her grief about her energy readings. Then there was Baby Bear - aka Bruce Banner - who just tried to stay out of the way and ignore everything going on even though Darcy could see the tenseness ratcheting up in his shoulders every time one of the others so much as opened their mouths. After twenty minutes she threw up her hands and drafted some help. It took all of them, but she, JARVIS, and Pepper managed to get Tony and Jane both out of the labs long enough to lock Bruce inside while locking them out. Some clever threats led to the two tired, cranky scientists being hustled off to bed. Darcy considered it a job well done, grinning at the others before hightailing it for the main kitchen.

She wanted a large cup of coffee, some kind of pastry, and ten minutes of blissful silence.

And she wasn’t going to get it.

Not exactly anyway… Silence reigned in the room when she stepped through the door. Her eyes scanned the rigid expressions of the faces that turned to her as her steps faltered. Clint and Tasha stood on one side of the room, wary eyes focused on the two men standing across from them. Steve hovered near his newly returned best friend. James Buchanan Barnes had only been in the Tower for a few days, but she’d been kept on the opposite side of the building by well-meaning and overprotective friends (or on different floors because no one trusted the scientists alone these days - too many explosions). So...basically she hadn’t gotten to meet him yet. She eyed the group - they stood between her and her goal of coffee and no one seemed ready to break the stalemate.

That meant it was up to her - Darcy Lewis, the Cat-Herding, Scientist-Wrangling, Hero-Supporting assistant to the rescue.

“You can’t fight in here,” Darcy announced, poking James in the arm as she strolled past him and Steve, flashing a smile towards the watching spies. “This is the War Room!” A mischievous smile flickered over her mouth. “Free cookies of your choice if you get that reference.”

A hand shot out and caught her arm before she could get too far away. Everyone else in the room froze as James turned her to face him. Shadowed blue eyes zeroed in on hers. “Dr. Strangelove, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and released in 1964,” he replied in a matter-of-fact voice as if reciting details from a file. 

That might have thrown her if she hadn’t already been shocked by the words themselves. “You are totally the reason I’m a movie junkie,” she managed as she pressed a hand to her shoulder where those words had been etched in her skin for as long as she could remember. “I’ve got a better collection than most resale stores.”

One corner of his mouth twitched up into something that almost resembled a smile as the people around them made choking noises. His free hand pulled his shirt up just enough to reveal a line of her handwriting curving around his left side. “I woke up with these...and looked it up.”

“Like cookies that much, do you?” she asked before blinking at the two men giving them shocked looks. Tasha’s eyes darted between them, resignation settling in as if she were putting together a puzzle. “What?”

“You...he…you...” Steve stammered. James gave a soft snort as he glanced at his oldest friend, but he stayed quiet. 

“Soulmates?” Clint’s expression couldn’t seem to settle, drifting between concern, shock, and exasperation. “Seriously? You two?”

“Yes?”

“Somehow I am not all that surprised.” Tasha pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fate’s sense of humor has always been questionable.”

Darcy eyed all of them for a long moment before shaking her head. “I need coffee,” she informed them. “I have been dealing with toddlers masquerading as scientists and I haven’t had enough caffeine to deal with spies and agents and paranoid heroes.” Curling her hand around James’ elbow, she gave it a tug. “Come on, soulmate. We can discuss what type of cookies you like while these guys pick their jaws up.” She sent a wink towards Tasha. “Good luck!”

Shaking off the memories, Darcy turned a cheerful smile on her friend. “You couldn’t decide if you were amused or horrified,” she mused.

“Never horrified,” Tasha corrected. “Just...concerned.”

“Which translates to horrified.”

The redhead gave a nonchalant shrug. “It’s your birthday so I will let you have your way this time.”

“Because I’m right.” Darcy’s smile turned smug. “I’ve known you too long, Tash.”

“True enough, little sister.” Tasha reached out to touch a white lock that curled along Darcy’s cheek. “And why aren’t you inside?”

“I was waiting for you.” Darcy took her friend’s hand. “Got a favor to ask.”

Tasha’s fingers tightened. “Anything.”

“So fast,” she teased. “But it’s nothing you haven’t done before...and I know you’ll already do it, but…”

“If it helps you to ask, then ask.”

Darcy gave her a soft smile before waving her free hand towards the boisterous crowd on the other side of the doors. “Watch over them for me?”

Silence fell over the balcony, making the music from the party sound louder than ever. She watched as various emotions played through Tasha’s eyes, emotions most people wouldn’t have seen, but the two of them had been friends for too long now. Five decades and some change meant Tasha trusted her with keys and clues no one else got to share. Her face settled into sorrowful acceptance.

“You never needed to ask.”

“I know.”

The two women sat together and watched the party. One older in appearance, but the other older in years, they seemed a rather mismatched set. Even the party-goers, the ones here to celebrating Darcy’s birthday didn’t understand the bond between them. “The kids seem to be having a good time,” 

Tasha’s soft chuckle signified her agreement. “Who knew there’d be so many of them?”

“Not like Clint and Laura didn’t try their best to add to the world’s population,” Darcy pointed out.

“As if you and James didn’t?”

“They’re good kids.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe a little too full of themselves and their pranks at times, but good kids.”

“Very much the children of their parents,” Tasha noted with a flick of her eyebrow. 

Darcy’s laughter rang out, still bright though not as strong as it had been when she was younger. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The redhead paused before folding a second hand over their clasped hands. “You think it will be soon?”

“I’m tired,” she agreed, not needing any clarification. “And...I hear the past more than the present these days.” Darcy turned her gaze from the party back to Tasha. “I think they’re calling me home.”

“I will miss you.”

“You’ll see me again sooner or later,” she replied, pulling her hands free to hug her friend. “And we’ll be waiting for you wherever we are.”

Hope gleamed in Tasha’s eyes as she pulled back. “You believe that?”

“Absolutely.” Darcy’s tone allowed for no argument. “I refuse to believe that all of the love and...and...connections we have just go…’Poof!’ when we die. There has to be something or somewhere else, whether you call it Heaven or the Elysian Fields or Valhalla or whatever. I know there’s more.”

“Then I will hope to see you there.”

“You’ll be there,” Darcy promised. “If I have to drag you in myself.”

Shared smiles lit the night only to be interrupted by a new voice calling out.

“Grandma Darcy!” A little girl with dark curls and striking blue eyes came running out on the balcony. “It’s time for cake!” She skidded to a stop, her eyes going wide as she spotted both women. With a joyful shriek she threw herself at them. “Aunt Nat!”

“Hello, _moya malen'kaya koshechka_ ,” Tasha laughed as she caught the child and swung her around. “And how are you, Miss Talia?”

“Hungry for cake!” Talia threw her arms around the redhead’s neck. “You can have some too! Mama made pryanik.”

“My favorite.” She shifted the girl to one hip and turned back to Darcy. “Shall we go in, _moya sestra_? You can’t miss your birthday cake...no matter how untraditional.”

“I like spice cake,” Darcy laughed. She pulled herself to her feet and started towards the door. “Besides, it’s your namesake’s favorite too.” Reaching out she tugged on a lock of her granddaughter’s hair. “Isn’t it, sweetheart?”

“Yep!” Talia giggled. 

“Then in we go.” Darcy waved the other two ahead of her before taking one more glance up at the night sky. “You watch over them too, okay?” she whispered. “With their grandparents, they’re going to need all the help they can get.” Then she caught her breath as she spotted something in the sky above her.

A shooting star shot through the night...clear despite the light pollution from the city.

Darcy’s smile blossomed. “Thanks, Big Guy.” 

“Grandma!’

“I’m coming!”

She turned and walked into the light and warmth of the party.


End file.
